The “Strong Black Woman Collective”: A Developing Theoretical Framework for Understanding Collective Communication Practices of Black Women

2014/10/24 by Shardé M. Davis · 1 citation
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Communication in Education and Healthcare #Critical Race Theory in Education #Social Media and Politics

paper · doi:10.1080/07491409.2014.953714

openalex publication_date 2014/10/24 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29

Abstract

The “Strong Black Woman” ideal is a long-established image in U.S. society placing pressures on Black American women to maintain a façade of strength, self-sufficiency, and resilience. This article advances the Strong Black Woman Collective (SBWC) as a developing standpoint framework for analyzing the complexities associated with embodiment, communication, and regulation of strength among groups of Black women. While reinforcing such behaviors as a collective enables resistance against racial-gendered oppression and validates Black womanhood, it may also impede sharing vulnerability and emotionality.

Citations

• Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis.
• Superwoman Schema: African American Women’s Views on Stress, Strength, and Health
• Sex differences in friendship expectations: A meta-analysis

Cited by

• Shardé M. Davis [wikipedia]

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